Firefighters led 33 people to safety during a fire that damaged a block of flats in Newport Road, Acton early this morning (Jan 6).

Two women were treated on the scene and two more had to be taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Residents were also on the phone to fire officers during the blaze as they provided safety advice.

Station Manager Gary Squires, who was at the scene, said: “Firefighters and Control officers did very well with this challenging incident, and the fire was brought under control quickly. There was a lot of black smoke in the corridor when we arrived. People did the right thing by staying in their flats until our crews were able to reach them – purpose built flats are designed to withstand fire for some time, and it would have been much more dangerous to go through the smoke-filled corridors to get out.”

Four fire engines were deployed to the scene with 21 firefighters and officers from Acton, Chiswick, and Hammersmith fire stations.

Fire crews were called at 1.06am and the fire was under control at 2.34am